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Yesterday was an important date in the Qantas’ 2018 calendar because it was the day the airline reported its first half profit figures to the world. The figures were very good but, if we’re being honest, most of us don’t really care how well or badly the airlines we fly are doing so long as they keep flying and don’t cut our services.
What we really care about is what the airlines provide us and an earnings update is always a good opportunity for an airline to let us all know what changes it plans to make in the coming months.
This time around Qantas used its half-year figures announcement to confirm that its Qantaslink turboprop cabin would be getting an upgrade, that it plans to open a Qantas Group pilot academy and, most importantly from most people’s point of view, that the airline plans to upgrade the Sydney Business Class lounge.
Here’s what Qantas has told us:
The national carrier’s Sydney International Business Lounge will undergo a multimillion dollar rebuild, providing travellers with a completely new design, at least 30 per cent more seating and a new signature dining experience.
The flagship Sydney International Business Lounge will introduce a new Neil Perry dining experience, with an interior design inspired by Sydney’s unique lifestyle and geography.
Creative concept of the lounge will be developed by David Caon in collaboration with Australian architecture firm Bates Smart. David Caon is the principal designer of the Qantas Dreamliner interior as well as the airline’s lounges in Singapore and Hong Kong, the Chairmans Lounge in Brisbane and the upcoming International Transit Lounge in Perth.
Construction is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2018 and will be completed in phases to ensure that Business Class passengers still have a lounge (or part of a lounge). Completion is targeted for the end of 2019.
The full features travelers can expect are:
- Neil Perry designed dining concept;
- Full-service bar;
- Generous business facilities and high speed Wi-Fi;
- Dedicated family zone;
- Service experience by Sofitel; and
- Luxury bathroom facilities.
I haven’t ever been inside the current Business Class lounge in Sydney as I’m fortunate enough to have oneworld status that grants me access to the First Class lounge in Sydney….but I like the sound of the new plans.
If there is one thing that Qantas does very well it’s designing and operating lounges in important markets. The Qantas First Class lounge in LAX is one of my favorite lounges in the US…..
The bar in the Qantas First Class Lounge at LAX
…. the new Qantas lounge in London is a great place to relax…..
One of the bars in the new Qantas Lounge at London Heathrow T3
…and the fact that the new Business Class lounge in Sydney will continue offer menus by the same chef that does the menus for the First Class lounges in LA and Sydney bodes very well indeed.
Also, the new Business Class lounge will continue to be served by Sofitel staff which, from my experiences of the Sofitel staff in Sydney’s First Class lounge, are among the best lounge staff I’ve encountered.
Bottom Line
Whenever I’m traveling with a oneworld airline I always check to see if there’s a Qantas lounge I can access at the airports I’ll be visiting. They’re by no means all fantastic (the Business Class lounge in Auckland is fine but not special and the First Class lounge in Auckland isn’t in any way impressive) but, by and large, they’re usually among the better lounges on offer.
Even the domestic lounges I visited in Sydney and Melbourne last November were better than most domestic lounges we have in the US and that makes me excited to see what Qantas will do with its Sydney lounge.
I suspect there will be a reasonable amount of disruption in the lounge as the building work is done in phases (it will probably get pretty crowed at times too) but, hopefully, the end result will be one worth waiting for.
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